Critical Conversations for Managers

Overview

Course duration: 1 day.

Whether you are saying 'no' to a request, communicating bad news, dealing with poor performance or recruiting staff, critical conversations happen throughout the year.

By using a simple four-step process every conversation can be made more effective for both parties. During the course there will be opportunity to practise a variety of real life situations so practical learning can be taken back to the workplace.

Is it right for me?

Mainly suitable for people who manage others and have had little exposure to critical or difficult conversations. It is also suitable for managers who conduct performance reviews. This course will help give confidence in delivering the difficult messages as well as setting the direction of critical conversations.

What will I learn?

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Create personal ownership in performance improvement.
• Manage the critical performance review conversation.
• Commit to the way forward – in partnership.
• Give effective feedback.
• Deliver bad news and sensitive issues with empathy.
• Effectively resolve conflict.
• Manage emotion in reactionsfrom both yourself and others.
• Face up to difficult decisions.

What will it cover?

Critical Conversations

• Identify the sensitive issues that are critical to your business
• What makes a critical conversation different from the rest
• Avoiding conflict at the key touchpoints
• Staying in control of emotions

Developing a High Performance Mindset

• Constructing a strategic line of sight for objectives
• The link between performance and company / team reputation
• The links between motivational objectives and measurable business results
• Create personal ownership – the value of walking the talk

Setting objectives to excite and motivate

• Shift perceptions of SMART objectives from other people's agenda to goals I am connected to
• Simple tools to help set the goals people want to achieve
• Imaginative goal setting so people can see, hear, touch and taste success
• Setting goals using SMARTER and PACES

The Power of Feedback

• Five-step feedback planner and how to receive in the moment feedback
• How we describe specific observable behaviours
• Tackling the issue not the person
• Practising Push and Pull for feedback conversations

Dealing with Absenteeism and Poor Performance

• Exploring the options to tackle absenteeism
• Examining the behaviours in and around ‘poor performance’
• Assessing individuals from skill and will
• Challenging our assumptions – what’s the evidence

Personal Development

• Prepare and develop a personal action plan to support your return to the workplace